Friday, February 25, 2011

Unknown

Berlin 2011: Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) and his wife Elizabeth (Jones) arrive for a bio-tech summit. Soon, Martin has awoken in the hospital, told he's been in a coma for four days after being in a taxi that crashed into a river. Unsure of why he got in, Martin goes back to the hotel hoping to console his wife. As he arrives, his wife doesn't recognize him due to being in the arms of Martin Harris?! Concerned that his identity was stolen for a reason, Martin weaves his way through Berlin, aware of spying eyes and strange memories....

From the trailer, many of us assumed that Unknown was simpy the unofficial sequel to "Taken", another European action movie starring Liam Neeson. Soon enough, it becomes clear that Unknown has more in common with Hitchcockian mysteries and The Bourne Series of films. Neeson is once again in top form, making Martin into a striking character whose fears are our fears, and that the unease and confusion become easy for the audience to identify with. One of the best tricks the director uses is tilting the camera and employing a yellowish filter over Martin's "memories", making it ambiguous whether we are to believe Martin or the growing number of naysayers against him. There's a quote Martin says about his condition I find appropriate: "Have you ever felt what it's like to be insane? One half of you wants to believe what everyone says about you, and the other half wants to believe what you know". I'll admit, Unknown isn't without a few problems. For one, the film's pace may be a tad too slow for people expecting a pulse-pounding action adventure. But for those who are fascinated by a good supsenseful mystery, they will fully enjoy Unknown.

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